Sure, we enjoy our food, especially when it’s our favourites. But have you ever wondered about the reasons why different food items have peculiar tastes, colour, and smell? Here, we have listed 9 interesting facts about which are surely going to fascinate you:
1. Why mint tastes cold?
Mint contains a chemical known as menthol which tricks the brain into sensing that the food is cold.
2. The reason for chilli peppers to taste hot
The hot taste in chilli peppers is due to the presence of capsaicin, an oily chemical which is odourless and colourless.
3. Orange fruit and colour
The colour ‘orange’ is named after the fruit of the same name. The old English word for the colour was ‘geoluhread’ which translated to ‘yellow-red.’
4. Difference between packaged and home-made cheese
Packaged, pre-shredded cheese has a different characteristic from home-made shredded cheese. The former is easy to pour as it does not clot while the latter can be sticky and not-so-easy to pour.
5. Why do food items become tastier with salt?
One of the primary reasons for salt to act as taster enhancer is the human tongue can detect five basic tastes, including saltiness. Salt tends to decrease bitterness in food items, making them more enjoyable in terms of taste perception. Salt also helps release molecules from food items into the air for enhancing the aroma of food items.
6. Holes in crackers
Have you ever wondered why there are small holes in crackers? Well, the tiny holes are made in crackers in order to bake them properly. The holes are also the reason your crackers are crisp.
7. Jelly is different from jam
Did you know that jelly and jam are not the same? Jam is prepared from crushed fruits whereas jelly is made from the juice of fruits. When preparing jelly, the fruit juice is boiled while adding pectin and sugar for a thicker consistency.
8. Asparagus makes pee smell
Some of the chemical compounds found in asparagus break down in a certain way after consumption. It is interesting to note that asparagus doesn’t smell bad when you are preparing it.
9. Garlic makes your breath smell bad
The sulphuric compounds found in garlic lead to bad breath.
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